Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play People Get Ready on piano
By Bob Marley
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- V7–I–VI7–ii loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn People Get Ready in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb7 – Eb – C7 – Fm
How it goes
People Get Ready sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bb7V7EbIC7VI7Fmii- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about People Get Ready
What chords are in People Get Ready?
The loop is Bb7 – Eb – C7 – Fm (V7 – I – VI7 – ii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is People Get Ready in?
Eb major, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in People Get Ready?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is People Get Ready easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.